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Brain Records, how did you put out so many good records in the '70's? Free jazz inspired world music? We have Embryo for that. Hendrix inspired power trios? Listen to some Guru Guru. Experimental electronic music? Neu!, Cluster, Tangerine Dream and Harmonia would surely do the trick. German music of the 1970's was far reaching in scope and influence, and Brain Records was on the forefront of showcasing the talent and creativity of the area. We love the German avant-garde scene at Huckleberry. On any given day you may hear Amon Duul II, Can, Kraftwerk, or Lucifer's Friend gracing our deck. The sounds are diverse (how anyone can label all these bands "Krautrock" and be satisfied is beyond me), but the common strain of experimentalism, individuality, and desire to break from "rock n' roll" convention is what ties these groups together. For a great primer on the German scene, I urge everyone to watch the BBC documentary The Re-birth of Germany. Two of the more "organic" (see: "rock") selections from Brain are the Scorpions and Electric Sun. Yes, we are talking about that Scorpions. Before the Scorpions crafted their '80s anthemic rock sound, the band were a couple of young guys from Hanover (guitarist Michael Schenker was 15 at the time of recording their debut on Brain!). Their debut album, Lonesome Crow, recorded by the legendary German producer Conny Plank, is a ripping, shredding, example of '70's acid/space rock. Sure, the guitars are loud and crunchy, but they do not simply bludgeon the listener. Songs have atmospherics and vocal harmonies. When  

We are pleased to now represent a well-known name in the bag industry: Manhattan Portage. I've personally owned a Manhattan Portage bag for years, and when we started speaking with the brand a short while back, I was hoping that we could find room for them in our shops. We finally have. If you don't know about Manhattan Portage, suffice it to say that they have been around for over 30 years, weathering every trend in the industry and setting a few trends as well. Whether or not it is true that they are the "original" messenger bag I don't know. What is true is that they are some of the best built bags on the planet. Manhattan Portage is not a Johnny-come-lately to the bag scene; and we have seen our share of bag manufacturers over the years. We currently have in our stores a smattering of bags like these. The Harbor. $275 The Skillman. $125 The North End. $149

Another year is coming to a close. The colder weather is settling in. Hot toddies are suddenly the new drink (say goodbye to the artisanal fruit-infused ice cubes). And every restaurant is showing off a Fall menu. Cherish the scarce daylight, folks. Seize the weekend. It's not all bad. We made it through another boozy Halloween. We made it through the BART strikes. And we'll make it through Dungeness Crab season. Just don't eat crab stew in a bread bowl at Fisherman's Wharf. Through it all, Huckleberry Bicycles still has your back. That's right. And to boot, the World's Smoothest Cannondale Dealer is now even smoother with a brand new Ed Lee-approved expanded storefront, more bikes, more clothes, and the same totally uncompromising service without the bike snobbery. We are your Huckleberries, and, OMG, if you will, please check out some of our sweetest, smoothest bikes that could be yours for the holidays. Yeah this is what we have at our store -- you need to test ride something and do it now!

2013 Cannondale SuperSix EVO with Shimano Di2. Now $3500.

We still have a few EVOs from 2013, including these Di2 models, and they are priced to move in with you and take over your life.

2014 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105. $2100.

Well would you look at that? The world's best all-day, high-performance road bike has a brand new design! Yes, the 2014 Synapse is going to blow your mind, and we have a whole bunch of these gems.

Giant TCR Composite with Shimanot 105. $1850

We aren't ones to brag around here, but if I forgot to mention already... the worlds' smoothest Cannondale Dealer is also now the world's smoothest Giant Dealer. Yeah, we went there. The biggest bike brand in the world, GIANT, makes some of the best bikes on the market today. The Giant TCR is one of those bikes. Hard to beat the price for a bike like this, fully equipped with a Shimano 105 group. Lovely.

Pinarello Rokh Ultegra. $3750

It doesn't get better than Pinarello. This year we are stocking the new Rokh and the new Marvel in Ultegra. Both bikes are beautifully designed with Pinarello's asymmetric stylings. One of the best around, without a doubt.

MASI Gran Criterium. $2070

Yeah, well we don't just stock carbon and aluminum. Not at all. Steel bikes continue to better and better. And the Masi Gran Criterium is a steel road bike that is simply stocked top to bottom out of the box with smooth. A modern lugged frame with Shimano 105? Yeah it exists and we have a size run of 'em.

Salsa Vaya. $1450 - $2000.

Have a hankering for that multi-day bike trip with all of your buddies? The Salsa Vaya is hands-down the best option for long rides, loaded with gear and beer. No more bar-end shifters on these babies -- all integration from here to eternity. That was just a taste of the bikes that we have in stock. Don't forget to check out our bikes from Surly, Handsome, Brompton, Civia, All City, and Felt. We hope to see you at the shop soon!

The new 2014 Cannondale Carbon Synapse is here! The best Synapse ever created now incorporates the power of the ancients: Pyramid power. The Egyptians used it. The Illuminati used it. Gary Neumann used it. And now, Cannondale is using it.

Blast off!

Long the crusher of cobblestones on one-day races like Paris-Roubaix, the Synapse sets the standard for smooth. And as the the World's Smoothest Cannondale Dealer, we love smooth. But with the new pyramid design, smooth meets speed uptown. As Cannondale says, "The seat tube splits asymmetrically at the bottom to accommodate a new, wider bottom bracket for serious stiffness without the added weight. The Power Pyramid is a solid base for laying down the power and laying out the competition." Wow.

The new Carbon Synapse with Shimano 105, we've got it. $2100

The rest of the rear-end of the new Synapse has been redesigned as well. Cannondale calls it the "Save Plus" design, which means that you can ride the crap out of this bike without your backside crapping out on you. "The Save Plus technology gets new emphasis in the seat tube. The elegantly scalloped shape, combined with a narrow 25.4mm diameter seatpost, provides more sympathy in the saddle--even over the most remorseless roads." O man I love scallops.

Close-up of the Power Pyramid

Ultimately, the best use for a bike like this is for long comfortable road rides--our favorite. That means that the Synapse is the perfect bike for organized rides like Aids LifeCycle or the Ride to Defeat ALS. So as usual, come on down to Huckleberry Town and test ride a new Cannondale Synapse. And if you don't believe me about Pyramid Power, just check this out:

Pyramid power gets the Presidential seal of approval!

It's February and we've only had a taste of the road-riding season, but it looks like it is going to be a great year for Pinarello once again. Tour-de-France winner Chris Froome of Team Sky just won the 2014 Tour of Oman (again) on a Pinarello. Now we may not all have the power output or low body fat of a Chris Froome, but that doesn't mean we can't all ride Pinarellos. So before Spring has fully sprung, I think it is time to talk about why you should be considering a Pinarello this year.

2014 Pinarello Marvel with Shimano Ultegra. $3750

Pinarello is a premium, no-compromise brand. It is a truly beautiful bike to behold. There is no mistaking a Pinarello on the road -- the curved fork blades generally are a dead give away. But behind the beauty of a Pinarello frame is a philosophical and technological innovation that guides the design: asymmetry. Quite simply, Pinarello takes the idea that because the forces applied to a bicycles while riding are not symmetrical, the bike itself should reflect that asymmetry. So the frames that Pinarello designs are asymmetrical to maximize the efficiency of a rider and decrease the amount of flex in a frame that is generated by pedaling. The Pinarello Marvel, pictured above, is new this year. It incorporates some of the best that Pinarello has to offer. Like their ultra-premium Dogma frame, the Marvel frame incorporate their Think2 system, which means that although the bike is equipped with mechanical shifting, it is perfectly adaptable to electronic-shifting. If you look closely at the front end of the bike, the Marvel also incorporates Pinarello's new ONDA 2 fork system. The typical space between the frame and the fork is eliminated, making the fork more rigid and the front-end more aerodynamic. The Marvel is a bike that can perform well for all types of road rides, but it is definitely competition ready.

2014 Pinarello Rokh with Shimano Ultegra. $3750.

The Pinarello Rokh, picture above, is an incredible comfortable bike, perfect for granfondos and long walks on the beach. Just kidding, well kidding about the walks on the beach part. The Rokh is for someone who wants the uncompromising quality of a Dogma frame, but without all the aggression. This year, Pinarello made a few updates to an already well-loved bike: the Rokh now incorporates the Think2 system and a PressFIT 30 bottom bracket.

2014 Pinarello Razha K with Shimano 105. $2550.

The Pinarello Razha, is Pinarello's foray into what we call "entry-level" carbon bikes. Hah! There is nothing entry-level about the Razha. It lives up to all of Pinarello's demanding standards for bicycle frames. We selected for the sales floor the Razha K version of this bike -- the K in the name means that the bike has a longer wheelbase than the typical Razha or other similar Pinarello frames. Simply, a longer wheelbase allows for a smoother ride because the bike is able to absorb more of the shocks with somewhat slacker tube angles. We stock Pinarello because we love these bikes, we love their heritage, and we love their technology. Like any other bike we have in the store, you can come on down to Huckleberry Town and test ride a Pinarello. Who knows, maybe a Marvel is what you need to take it to the next level this season. Come by, call, or e-mail us at the shop and we'll get you set up on a Pinarello!

This Bicycle company truly does live up to it's name.

We are hosting a three-part series of presentations about the the bicycle infrastructure and business! Join us for the first workshop on Tuesday, February 25th, from 12:30 - 1:30. Food will be provided. Please register here: bizandbikes.brownpapertickets.com.

Long time no see! Even though Shop Music has been on a long hiatus that does not mean that we have stopped incessantly playing side-long rippers all day at Huckleberry (sorry neighbors!). We have discovered lots of new music- both classics that are new to us and newly recorded soon to be classics- since we left off. Updates will be more frequent, and hopefully some of you on the internet may be turned on to some new tunes. This installment will be a little different than previous. With 2013 behind us, we started looking into our musical past at the shop. What albums can we not help ourselves from listening to waaaay too often (sorry sales crew!), and what albums can be played sparingly but still seem to always seep into our unconscious. Following are selections taken from Youtube representing some of our favorite shop bands. I wanted this list to have cohesion. Fortunately, we listen to A LOT of European progressive/psychedlic music. Most bands are from the 70's, but as you will see below, there are still some modern bands channelling the post-war energy. I tried choosing interesting, hard to find videos, from each band's best era. Youtube is really an incredible tool in discovering these would-be lost gems, and the incredible video and sound quality are a testament to the bands and film crews. Some of these videos are forty years old, but the raw energy, passion and pure sonic destruction is still alarmingly apparent. I scour Yotube quite often trying to find the odd bootleg, live performance and archival footage. Why not put all the hard work into good use and share a selection with all of you. I had to start the list with probably our favorite discovery of 2013. When Brian returned from a sojourn in San Diego with a stack of records, one stood out in particular. Lonesome Crow, the 1972 debut release by German group the Scorpions, had us all floored at first listen. I should have trusted the Brain Records label on the record, but all I could think of was, "You are really putting on the Scorpions?" I am so happy that Brian brought this record into my life. Lonesome Crow features a 16 (!) year old Michael Schenker absoutely shredding for 40 minutes straight. These aren't your hard rock/heavy metal Scorpions. Lonesome Crow is a progged out, psychedelic, krautrock ripper. It is groovy, heavy, and driving. The following video is the only remnant of the original Scorpions during their short tenure. The video also features our dear brother in arms Keven Bricknell as Klaus Meine. For continuity's sake, the next video stays in the Scorpions family tree. Uli Jon Roth, successor to Michael Schenker, also found prominence with his own outfit- Uli Jon Roth's Electric Sun. Electric Sun's first record, Earthquake, was also released by the Brain label. What Uli lacks in vocal finesse, he more than makes up for in finger dexterity. This album is a workout. Roth is equal parts Blackmore and Hendrix. I cannot think of many other guitarists that have been as successful playing a neo-classical style with such bombast. To put it lightly, Yngvee Malmsteen wishes every day he could play like Roth. Live footage of Electric Sun during their Eartuquake years is scant (or non existent), however there was one promotional video for the album. Although the sound is taken from the studio recording, we still get to see Roth's fingers blur up and down the fretboard. Listening to Uli's studio recordings made me envision his playing as tight, controlled and disciplined. This video dispelled all of those notions. Watch Uli's right arm. It is loose and fluid. Hendrix reincarnated as a German with a similar taste in head wear.   Please excuse all the French narration in the next video (actually if anyone can translate for me, it would be greatly appreciated). The next video contains performances by two mammoths of German progressive music. First, keeping the Hendrix worship alive is Guru Guru. Next up is synth king Klaus Schulz. Usually work stories involve, you know, the work you do. At Huckleberry, our work stories, often take the form of Ebay hits and near misses. Like a poker player regalling his friends with stories of having pocket aces but being rivered for all he has, our stories often end with being sniped for that great deal on a record by a last second bidder. One of the shop's greatest wins of 2013 was procuring a copy of Guru Guru's Kang Guru (shipped here all the way from Israel) on the Brain label. Guru Guru encapsulates all that is great about power trios. All three players have the space needed to show off, but also show the ability to use the self-restraint needed for the song. The band was not just another rock n roll power trio. A free jazz group at its core, Guru Guru combined free form jazz, blistering acid/psych, and left-leaning politics to become a behemoth in the Krautrock canon.

2014 Cannondale CAAD10 3 with Shimano Ultegra. $2100

Canadian Cycling Magazine just did an amazing review of a bike we stock, the 2014 Cannondale CAAD10 3 Ultegra. The CAAD series is a perennial favorite among the bike review crew, and 2014 is going to be another award-winning year for the Cannondale. Here is a copy of the review, click on the images for a closer look:

It's here! The New Women's Road Apparel Clothing line from Giro has finally arrived! We are very excited about this new collection of women's apparel from Giro because of the unique design concept that they have created, it like the men's apparel line blends together both the fashionable and technical side of cycling.  Whatever and wherever you ride, your clothes should enhance the experience. Pioneering in its spirit,  the Giro Women's New Road is a truly first-of-its-kind apparel collection, designed for women who define their rides in terms of an attitude and a spirit of exploration. Women who embrace their bikes as transportation, a tool and even the ticket to freedom.     Giro's Womens's New Road line includes functional underwear like a merino boy undershort with a thin chamois and a baselayer with three back pockets   The Giro Women's New Road Wind Guard Hoodie   The Giro New Road CA SL Ride Jersey (left) and CA Ride Jersey are both 89% merino/11% nylon

We still have ONE Eddy Merckx EMX-1 bike left at the shop. For too long this totally ridiculously beautiful road bike has sat on our racks. I guess sometimes even the cutest puppies don't find homes. When that happens, they go on sale. And this puppy is on sale, big time! Let me just say a few words about this bike. IT IS CARBON. IT IS SHIMANO 105 LEVEL. IT IS 55CM. IT SAYS MERCKX ON IT. IT WAS $2700. IT IS NOW $1995. I can barely contain myself here. A carbon bike with 105 from a niche company like Eddy Merckx is a rare thing. So if you are looking for a road bike, but you don't want the same one that your friend rides, look no further. Don't compromise -- you need to test ride this amazing frame before someone else takes this puppy home. Call us at 415-484-6575 or email info@huckleberrybicycles or come on down and check it out in person. Shipping is available for this model!

ALL TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE APPAREL IS CURRENTLY 40% OFF!

We recently had an Ashton Kutcher sighting here in the mid-market neighborhood of San Francisco, and for some reason it got me thinking about how "dude, sweet" our technical apparel selection is. It's easy to get punk'd when you put on the lycra cycling shorts. From Plum Smugglers to MAMILs, those of us who dare don lycra are targets for those afraid to strut their stuff. My favorite jibe thrown my way came from a group of teenage girls driving along Lake Shore Drive who screamed "nice manpris" and giggled away. They're called knee-warmers you little brats! Whatever. I was kicking ass that day on a smooth Cannondale Synapse, and Mom always told me that when people make fun of you, it's because they are jealous. After all, they should be jealous--because any man or woman in poor to average shape willing to wear skin-tight sports apparel whilst riding a ridiculously fast road bike is a brave soul. If you ask me people should enjoy every moment of lycra wearing. Think of it like you are putting on a superhero costume. Kind of like cosplay without the lightsabers. If you have the bike but don't have the lycra, all I can really say is to just go for it. When you get on that nice road bike, you should not be without your technical apparel. Here in Huckleberry town, we sell both--bikes AND apparel. That's just what we do. We have a huge collection of cycling apparel that you won't find anywhere else. We also have the best dressing room and the best collection of nintendo games west of the Mississippi. O and have I mentioned yet, we are putting all of our technical apparel ON SALE to get you started right this season. Let's be clear what I mean by technical apparel. I'm talking about short- and long-sleeve jerseys, shorts, knickers, bibs, warmers (arm, knee, leg), wind shells, jackets, rain shells, overshoes, and capes. Basically the stuff that you already know you love. I'd personally wear technical apparel all day every day if I could. O wait, I work at a bike shop so I guess I can. Either way, everybody loves the guy who rides to the office in lycra, right!? Let's be honest, so-called "lifestyle" is just for the feint of heart. Why shouldn't you wear tight shorts up the elevator, down the hall, and right into you crappy office chair? You already wear you golf clothes to work, on fridays at least. So, to get you ready for the spring, here is just a small sampling of our collection from Castelli, Giordana, and Cannondale: Castelli = zoom and done. The best of the best in cycling apparel is Castelli. They have been around forever. Sizes tend to run a bit small in Castelli, but hey you look great in a size small! We carry a large selection of Castelli's tech apparel. And Castelli knows all about riding in spring.

Best part about these bibs--other than the price--they no longer say Nanoflex on the side.

This women's Castelli Confronto jacket is bling!

This girl liked her Castelli gear so much that she documented it with an old-fashioned selfie. You know why she likes Castelli so much? Because the shorts don't give her "sausage thighs." That's also why I wear Castelli. Giordana is another great cycling apparel brand with a thirty-year history. They are definitely one of the better-known names in cycling apparel. They even sponsor a team, and look how psyched these ladies are to be wearing Giordana lycra! From Giordana, we stock a tops and bottoms from their Fusion and Silverline lines of apparel. All on sale! Last but not least, the World's Smoothest Cannondale Dealer, that's us, carries Cannondale technical apparel. We tend to prefer the more subtle designs, aka blacks and greys. But with Cannondale there is always a little green mixed in for visibility.

Check out this Cannondale Morphis Jacket -- the sleeves come off for vest action.

As the picture at the top of this post will attest, we have a LOT more technical apparel than I can list here. It is time to get your tights on and start getting ready for the riding season. This time do it right!